Collapsible packing-box.



L. E. MENDELMAN.

COLLAPSIBLE PACKING BOX.

APPLICATION Flu-:D AUGM. 1913.

1,147,257. v Patented July 20, 1915.

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En sfrars PATENT orrron.

Laon E. MENDELMAN, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

COLLAPSIBLE PACKING-BOX.

To all t0/wm it mag/concerne.' y

Be it known that I, LEON E. MENDELMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, inthe county of Los Angeles,

State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Packing-Boxes, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to collapsible packing boxes, and the principal object is to provide a collapsible box, the sides of which may be assembled in container form or secured in collapsed form by means of the same securing mechanism.

It is also an object to provide a collapsible box with looped straps which hold thel members in an assembledcollaps'ed package.

It is a further object tol provide meansy for locking said straps to lhold the box in collapsed condition, as desired.

In the drawings accompanying this speci-- cation and forming therewith the application for Letters Patent, Figure 1 is a per-l spective view of the box assembled for containing purposes, the cover beinglocked in' position thereon. Fig. 2 is a detail of one corner of the box, showing the loeking and assembling strap in elevation. Fig. 8 1s a transverse section. onthe Vline 3-3 of Fig. 5.,

Fig. 41 is a detail in vplanof the strap casing showing the latter in unlocked position.`

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the same in locked position. Fig. 6 is a detail lshowing the movable staple in the edge of the side kand end pieces of the box. Fig. 7 is a transverse section thereof. Fig. 8 is 'a detail of the sliding locking bolt used in'connection with the looped strap as seen on the line 8 8 of Fig. 9. Fig. 9A is a side elevation of the com!v ponent members forming the collapsibleV boxv assembled in their collapsed position.

More specifically in the drawings, 10 designates the top which is of similar congu.- ration to the bottom designated 11, and this top and bottom are preferably formed of paneled material consisting of a thin plate 12 with the reinforcing frame forming the edges of the box. The sides 14 and the end walls 15 are of similar material, though wood fiber or any stiffmaterial may be substituted for the panels and the edges of the side walls abutting upon the inner faces of the end walls have secured thereto plates 16 having headed buttons 17 formed thereon, these plates being secured by any suitable fastenings as screws 18, or bolts. Regis- Speciication of Letters Patent. Application iled August 14, 1913,.

v l Patented July 20, 1915. serial No. 784,732. l

of the end walls which are countersunk into the material forming the frame so that a flush surface is formed when the buttons are inserted and locked in position in relation to the keyhole slots. Two or more of these plates are preferably formed on each end of the side walls and each'side of the end walls softhat a' rectangular form is produced by assembling the four component members. Similar headed plates are secured to the side frames lalong their upper and lower edges which are adapted to register and fit into the keyhole slots cut into the angle plates 21 which are secured to the inner faces of the top and bottom members.

To lock the head after it has been inserted in the circular portion and secured within the narrow portion of the;y keyhole slot a' sliding strap 23is provided which is'adapted to `slide in a slot' cut in the outer edge of the angle `plate 2-1 and the inner portion sliding uponfthe inner and keyhole slotted face of the angle plate. This portionof the vstrap is provided with a slot which emholeslot a spring bolt 28 is provided secured by means of a clamp 29. This spring bolt engages in a hole 30 in the sliding plate and is released therefrom by means of a knob 31l whichslides in a vertically disposed slot in the outer face of the inner plate, this knob being secured tothe spring bolt 28. The elongated end of the strap 23 lies closely to the sides ofthe box wlhen in the locked position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the oppositely disposed end being Vformed into a loop 33 which engages in assembled position with the block 34 secured tothe side members.

To secure the members in collapsed position each of the side and end walls are provided with recessed plates 85, the recess extending in longitudinal direction so that the cross bar portion 36 of the slidable U-shaped staple 37 will be flush with the outer surface when in its innermost position, the inner ends of the staple being headed up so that the staple may be lifted to the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 6 and 7 when the looped end of the strap may pass therethrough, as shown in Fig. 9.

`When the four side and end walls have been assembled upon the top of either the top or bottom member 10 or 11 with the strap 23 passed through the staple in each one of the members on each side thereof the sixth member composing` the box may be placed in position and a loop 33 sprung between the lugs 38 formed upon a plate 39 mounted on opposite edges of the top and bottom members, these lugs being apertured through which the bolt 40 is slidably mounted, a third lug 41 also supporting the bolt, this latter lug being threaded and provided with a notch on the face disposed toward the lugs 38, this notch being adapted to receive a pin 42 secured to the bolt 40 in such position that the pin must necessarily fall within the notch to permit the inner end of the bolt to be withdrawn a sufficient distance in relation to the nearest lug 38 to allow the loop 33 to be passed between.

The bolt is now slipped into the registering loop and the threaded portion 44 thereon is engaged with the threads in the lug 41, the end of the bolt adjacent the threaded portion being preferably formed with a knurled head 45 thereon by which the latter may be turned.

The assembling and collapsing of the box will be readily understood from the above description, the duplication of each of the members being required on each engaging face, with the exception of the top and bottom edges of the end walls since the top and bottom could not be engaged therewith coincidently with the sides, and it has been found in practice that this engagement is not essential in the practical working of the device.

What I claim is:

1. A collapsible packing box formed of a plurality of members forming top, bottom and side and end walls of said box, means to lock the side and end walls to form a fixed inclosure, a plurality of slotted plates secured to each of said top and bottom members, lugs on said top and bottom members adapted to support a sliding bolt, means to secure said bolt in fixed relation to said lugs, a second series of slotted plates on said top and bottom members, looped straps extending therefrom, and movable staples secured to each of said side and end walls, whereby when said staples are assembled on one of said looped straps and the sliding bolt engaged in the loop in the strap, the separable members will be locked in fixed and collapsed relation.

2. In a collapsible packing box having separable side and end walls and top and bottom members, plates formed with keyhole slots carried by the top and bottom members, plates having lugs mounted on the top and bottom edges of the side walls, said lugs adapted to be engaged in said key-hole slots, slotted plates slidably mounted in the plates having the key-hole slots adapted to engage the lugs to hold the latter against displacement, said slidable plates being formed with a strap portion having a looped end adapted to detachably engage the side walls, and spring pressed latches on the key-hole slotted plates adapted to engage the slidable plates to hold them in their lug locking positions.

In witness that l claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 4th day of August, 1913.

LEON E. MENDELMAN.

Witnesses MERLE HAMMOND, MARIE BATTEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each,.by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

